Name: Molly Walt
Age: 39
Campaign Web site:www.MollyWalt.com
Education: Bachelor of Elementary Education, and a Master of Arts in Education/Administration and Supervision.
Political experience: Minimal
Please write a short biography of yourself (you might include such things as birthplace, career, community involvement, family, etc.): I'm from Anaconda, Montana. My husband, Kyle, and I have 4 children and two dogs. Since 1994, I have taught at EVMS, CMS, CHS, and in 2002 began teaching night school at Carson Alternative Education. I coached intramurals, and school sports. I am now coaching my children, team referee, team mom, and on the board for Pinkerton Ballet Theatre.
Kyle and I started a Youth Basketball Tournament benefiting the Shrine Children's Hospital. We recently founded a non-profit organization called Smiles for Miles, benefiting Northern Nevada children affected by Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate which affects three of my children.
Have you ever been arrested? If so, when and for what offense? NO
Describe your vision for the Carson City of the future:
Carson City has a small town feel that my family loves. My vision is to continue working to improve the family friendly atmosphere in order to benefit the future of Carson City residents. I want to help Carson City become a more desirable place for Young Professional families to both live and work. I want to bridge the gap between generations and continue to promote Carson City as a vibrant, healthy community.
List the three most important issues Carson City will face in the next few years:
1 Regional cooperation to share resources and reduce service costs. American cities can cooperate in innovative efficient ways. Leadership focus must be heightened more on people - less on county boundaries.
2 Civic investment. Public Economics 101: community assets generate revenue. Building schools, a library, parks, and cultural facilities ensures residents not commuters. A tax base from well-paid residents means we all pay a little and get a lot; otherwise disproportionate burdens are on those who remain.
3 Civility of Elected Officials. We need to end bickering, be proud of our positions, even if we disagree, and together implement what our citizens expect.
Do you think Carson City has a healthy number of casinos?
The relationship between casinos and health is baffling, since more casinos reduce dollars spent in the great ones we have, and reduces spending in other local businesses and on philanthropy. Our casino ordinance requires 100 rooms for new gaming licensees, maybe it needs to be beefed up? Or better yet, maybe we need to zone any new casinos to specific areas of town. This would free us up to renew our focus on expanding our business base away from gaming to a more diversified economy.
Would you support more casinos? Zoned, with more rooms.
If the city continues to face budgetary problems, would you consider layoffs as part of the solution? The largest employment sector in Carson City is either public or quasi-public: State, City, College, Hospital, School District and Federal Government Ð and many private professionals who have public contracts Ð people working in these areas compliments our business community; layoffs mean less local money in our town. Every laid off employee means one less customer ... providing services with good jobs from a dedicated public work force is the basics of an economically healthy capital city. Layoffs can be part of a tide of circumstances; practical decisions - not knee jerk decisions - must be made when such circumstances present themselves.
How would you characterize the level of crime in Carson City, including gang-related crime? Crime in Carson City is directly related to the health of our community. Focus on a healthy community will allow crime management as well as any city in America. Focus on healthy community building ie: great civic assets, great schools, great healthcare, residents with great jobs (not commuters with the great jobs) and great quality of life initiatives maintains manageable crime levels, especially gang-related, because the healthier the community the healthier and less crime prone are its citizens.
Do you believe the city needs more law enforcement officers? As your Supervisor I will solicit the input of the public safety professionals who make recommendations and take recommendations under advisement, and support their recommendations when it is economically feasible.
How will you vote on the public safety ballot question that asks voters if they want to increase their property taxes to add more firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement officers? I support this 100%. I trust the judgment of the citizen committee who worked long and hard and their recommendations.
How will you vote on the V&T tax ballot question, which proposes using sales tax to provide $10 million for the railroad in return for a share of the profits? I am opposed to any more public funds of a project that currently has no private contributions. Carson City has contributed in excess of $21M to an over $60M project. I would love to see the V&T completed to Carson City, but we must focus on community building to include libraries, parks, public schools, public safety, Western Nevada College, non-profits, our rich history ... rather than promises whose time may have already past.
What impression do you think Carson City makes upon visitors? What things can be done to improve Carson's "first impression?" My first priority is to the people who live here.
Focus on residents first and good things follow. Very simply: each and every visitor will love Carson City if we love Carson City. I will continue to support property owners, business owners, and citizens in ways that add beauty to every street, every avenue, every entry point coming in, going out and moving around Carson City whether it's by car, public transit, bike or foot.
Do you agree with one supervisor candidate's statement that Carson City has wasted assets and resources by poor planning in its projects?
The responsibility of planning falls on both the public and private sectors Ð we must look to the future not blame for the past. As your Supervisor, I will ensure focus on mixed-use, quality, market-based housing that serves our entire workforce and allows people to work and live in Carson City. Right now too much income leaks into surrounding counties. Let's try to make sure that those who work here also live here, play here, send their kids to school here, volunteer here, and spend their dollars in their hometown.
Carson City has a detailed plan to make the downtown more inviting to walking traffic, which includes a reduction in lanes. Do you support the plan?
I fully support the planning efforts that are underway in downtown, reducing lanes is still to be determined and will be based on solid factual information before any reduction would be approved, but the greater issue is that we are on the right track. Our downtown is our heart.
What are your ideas for improving downtown? I support mixed-use, residential, commercial, and civic activities in our downtown. Our community has already spoken and the vast majorities are publicly in support of downtown revitalization. I too am on that bandwagon.
The city has recently attracted retailers by offering monetary incentives. Do you support this policy? I support prudent public/private partnership investment as long as taxpayers' dollars are fully protected and the investment bears economic fruit.
If not, what strategy do you believe the city should use to attract businesses to locate here rather than in nearby communities? N/A
Do you believe Carson City's library is adequate? Absolutely not. Why? It was built for a community of 18,000 and now serves more than 250,000 visitors each year, has more than 30,000 active library card users. I completely support civic investment in a downtown central library. Such a civic facility could become and economic engine for a rejuvenated downtown. Our community would fall in love with a beautifully designed, state-of-the-art 21st Century library that would function in 21st Century ways, bridge a growing digital divide and further tie into our beautiful existing museums, places of learning, cultural facilities, and civic and government buildings.
Do you believe Carson City has an adequate number of parks and similar facilities? I am proud to be a part of a community that taxes itself for parks, recreation and open space. Our quality of life depends on continued support of parks and recreation. In fact, more gathering spaces like small amphitheaters, pocket parks, and trails have a direct relationship to a stronger local economy. I will do everything I can to provide resources for continued priority toward operation and maintenance of our recreational, arts and cultural assets, and support continued growth in such areas.
Some candidates have made comments about some citizens being subjected to treatment more fair than others. Do you agree?
I am an advocate of supporting rules, regulations and laws as they are written. In my years of living in Carson City I've never seen that abused. We live in an open, fair, and civic-minded capital city, and I will be honored to serve as Supervisor.
If so, in what areas has this occurred? N/A
What else would you like to say to voters about your qualifications and ideas? I want to be a part of a team with smart and enlightened elected officials who ask their citizens what their needs are, process the collective response and then represent our community with dignity and grace. I will listen. I've spoken with thousands of residents and see a high sense of pride in Carson City. I will be proud to serve each and every one of you.